The area outside Anxi County has become a huge gathering place for people.
The people affected by the disaster in the three counties of Zhongshan, Changshan and Gaoyang basically gathered here after receiving the news. Even people from Dai County under the Tuoba family and Fanyang County in Youzhou went south.
By the end of August, the camps were expanded and personnel were evacuated. A total of more than ten disaster relief camps were set up in Anxi, Liwu, and Weichang.
Anxi County was the largest. Not counting the troops brought by Shao Xun, the number of victims exceeded 12,000.
As a steady stream of food was transported westward from Bolinglukou Town, the victims slowly recovered, and their faces gradually turned a little red.
Unfortunately, many people died on the eve of the arrival of the food - mainly the old, weak, women and children.
Many new tombs have been erected outside Anxi County, and many old tombs have also been developed.
Don't expect someone who is hungry and anxious to stay rational. There are only dry bones left in the old graves, which were dug out and cooked by the victims. There is definitely no nutrition, and they are probably just deceiving themselves.
In children, sadness comes and goes quickly.
Chou Nu and Chun Kui were walking around a carriage, laughing and playing.
When the victims with their heads wrapped in yellow scarves passed by, they would sometimes stop to look at the two of them and tease them a few times.
It is hard to imagine that less than a month ago, they might have been the ones who threw the two children into the cauldron and prepared to cook them.
It's true that people in warehouses know etiquette.
Shao Xun had his mount brought over.
The old man was almost killed and made into preserved meat.
Maybe it never would have thought that in the eyes of the general, the war horse, which was worth a thousand dollars, would end up not on the battlefield, but in a cauldron.
Shao Xun rode out for half an hour and then came back, his face not very good.
"There's no way to plant any more." He found a tree stump and sat down, sighing: "Too many things have been washed down by the flood, and too many things have been washed away. It won't be able to recover within a year and a half. Grazing may be possible," he said.
But farming is difficult.”
What washes away are sand, rocks, bamboo and wood, and even all kinds of strange things. What washes away are soil nutrients that have been cultivated for many years.
Of course you can barely farm, but the harvest will be impressive.
Considering that the canal will be frozen in at most two months, and it will be very difficult to transport food by then, can we really support these victims to survive until the next autumn harvest? It is too reluctant and the cost is too high.
Perhaps, we can consider letting some of the strong go to eat elsewhere to reduce the consumption of precious food.
Leave some people whose families are relatively complete—if not complete, then complete—to spend the entire autumn and winter clearing the land and preparing it for next spring plowing.
To put it bluntly, there is not enough food and too much loss during long-distance transportation.
Although there is no war this year, the consumption caused by disaster relief is enough to swallow up the wealth production surplus for an entire year, and it is not even enough.
"Your Majesty, Mao Junjun is here." Yang Qin reported softly.
"Let him come over."
"Mao joins the army" is of course Mao Bang.
He is the domestic history of Yan, but he has always held the position of chief minister and has not completely left the central government. The reason is that Shao Xun has high hopes for him and will transfer him back at any time.
He took up the post of Yan Domestic History in February of the 10th year of Yongjia, and it has been four and a half years since then.
When Liu Han was there, he was very handy.
Once Liu Han left, management became very difficult. Without him, there would be no local foundation.
If no matter what, hello to me, hello to everyone, then of course you can keep doing it.
If you want to achieve something, it will be more troublesome.
Shao Xun has been observing him for more than a year and has decided to transfer him out of Youzhou. There is little point in staying any longer.
Mao Er has already gained insight into the intricate local relations, has a good understanding of the feelings of the people in the county and villagers, and is familiar with the operation of officialdom. He is no longer an inexperienced youngster. You might give him a blank piece of paper and see what he can draw.
Chou Nu and Chun Kui were tired of playing and threw themselves into Shao Xun's arms.
Shao Xun touched their heads, looked at Mao Er walking towards them, smiled and nodded.
"Master Shao." Mao Er bowed and saluted without squinting.
"How much food did you bring here?" Shao Xun asked.
"Sixty thousand hu of grain and three thousand miscellaneous animals," Mao Bang replied.
"how come?"
"The students asked for it one by one." Mao Bang said: "When they learned that Master Shao was in charge of Zhongshan, the wealthy people of Yan State did not dare to neglect it and donated generously."
"You've made your mark." Shao Xun praised.
Many officials from out of town really don't have much face in front of local snakes.
Mao Er was able to get so much food and meat because, first, it was the legacy of Liu Han, a famous scholar from Yan State;
Second, due to his own efforts, he probably became familiar with some wealthy family members, at least they were friends with each other, and food and livestock were coming at the critical moment;
The third thing, it probably had something to do with Shao Xun waiting for dinner in Zhongshan. The wealthy people of Yan State were not sure whether he would be angry or express his anger, so in the spirit of spending money to eliminate disasters, they took out some grain and livestock and treated them as beggars.
"Can the Yan State continue to work?" Shao Xun suddenly asked.
"Master Shao, I..." Mao Bang blushed for a moment.
"Well, it's a bit difficult for you. You have no soldiers, no money, and no food. You are eating, drinking, and talking with the children of the wealthy family. Everyone thinks you are good. But if you want to attack them, I'm afraid you will die first."
Shao Xun waved his hand and said: "Come to Gaoyang. After the disaster in Gaoyang's internal history,
Abandoning the city and fleeing without a trace, the state will send people to arrest him in a while. You come to Gaoyang State first and organize the land of these four counties. This county is not big, but the disaster has been serious, and the wealthy families have also suffered great losses.
It's so popular, it's easier to open up the situation than you were in Yan State, so next month you can become Gaoyang's internal historian."
"Yes." Mao Bang breathed a sigh of relief and responded.
"I'll leave some people for you. Come with me." Shao Xunwen smiled at the two children and said, "Let's go play for a while."
The ugly slave took his sister and left wisely.
Chun Kui was still a little reluctant and tugged on Shao Xun's clothes.
Shao Xun smiled and said, "That's all."
He bent down and picked up Chun Kui, then took Mao Bang outside, pointed to the densely packed thatched shacks in the distance, and said: "I will leave you with several thousand people, half of them strong men, half of them strong women. You let them live in Gaoyang."
Farming under the city. The men practiced in their spare time.
Are you worried about the lack of men? Okay, I will leave fifty soldiers for you, and they will train with you. As long as you cultivate the land for two or three years, there will be a good harvest, and you will have money and food. By then, the farmers and soldiers will be almost trained, and then
Are you comfortable managing the whole county?"
"Students must do well," Mao Bang said.
"Do you know what to do?"
"Grade fields, organize households, collect taxes, and train troops."
"That's right." Shao Xun said, "If you handle these things well, you can go further."
A curl of smoke rose not far away.
The victims looked at each earthen jar with sacred eyes and smelled the aroma of rice escaping from the jars. Unknowingly, some shed tears.
If you have never experienced this kind of suffering, it is difficult to understand their worship of food.
Shao Xun walked into a camp.
When the victims who were cooking saw him, they all worshiped: "Your Majesty."
"We meet every day, why should we pray? Why not save some energy." Shao Xun laughed and scolded.
Everyone stood up.
"When it's time to cook, when it's time to eat, don't worry about me, I'll just walk around." Shao Xun said again.
Then everyone dispersed.
Shao Xun stood casually in front of a broken tent, where seven or eight young men were crowded.
"All the family members are gone?" Shao Xun found a wooden stake to sit down on, put Chun Kui on the ground, and asked.
People in troubled times are not so pretentious. Moreover, after so much time, they can talk about the suffering that has passed relatively calmly.
"Washed away by the water."
"What are your plans?"
Several people looked at each other and said in unison: "Your Majesty, I am alive. I am willing to follow your Majesty for the kindness of rebuilding me."
"Come with me, it's a long way." Shao Xun said.
"Grandpa, I'll go with you." Chunkui suddenly raised her face and said crisply.
"Oh? What did you call me?" Shao Xun smiled.
Chun Kui lowered her head in shyness, feeling a little sad.
"Okay, okay." Shao Xun picked her up again and said, "I met you during the flood. This is God's will. God's will cannot be violated, so what does it matter if I have more daughters?"
Chunkui raised her head in surprise, her eyes instantly brightened, and when she saw Shao Xun smiling at him, she buried her head in his arms again.
The seven or eight young men looked at the little girl with envy.
They worked hard all their lives, but they may not be able to achieve any wealth. But this little girl was so lucky that she suddenly became the daughter of Prince Liang, which may be a peak that they can never reach in their lifetime.
"You follow me, as long as you dare to fight hard, you will have women, houses, fields, and money." Shao Xun glanced at them and said: "It is absolutely impossible to live a good life without paying anything.
After winter, food is in short supply, and Zhongshan, Changshan, Gaoyang and other counties may have difficulty eating. Will you come with me to Pingyang?"
"I wish." Several people said loudly without hesitation.
Home, ancestral graves, wife and children, everything is gone, you are alone, what is there to hesitate about?
Shao Xun nodded slightly and said, "Let's eat first."
After that, he left the shack and continued to inspect the camp.
Wherever he passed, greetings, shouts, and cheers could be heard all the time.
In this camp, some people used to be bankers, some used to be tribesmen, some used to be strong men, and there were even children of noble families. At this moment, they were all gathered together in despair, with no distinction between them.
They have only one identity at the moment: the survivors of the famine.
But there was only one person who allowed them to survive with difficulty: King Liang of the Jin Dynasty.
The experiences of this year may be unforgettable for these people until they die.
If you are lucky enough to live to the end of your life, you may be able to talk freely to your grandchildren sitting around the fire: "Back then, Aweng stumbled and was so hungry that his chest pressed against his back. When he was about to die, he met the King of Liang who fell from the sky and survived."
"Back then, there was a kid from an aristocratic family who slept on the same straw mat as me and grinded his teeth at night."
"There was a petty official who was extremely ruthless in collecting taxes. After a disaster, he was eaten."
"Back then, there was a well-educated and well-to-do girl. If I slept with her, I would only have to pay half a piece of human meat."
If you want to add drama to yourself, you can also brag: "Back then, King Liang invited me to join the army because he missed your grandma before she left. The king was very sorry and said that he had lost a fierce general."
It was played to the end, until the old woman couldn't listen any more, and that was the end.
Although I was bragging, in the dead of night, when I recalled the catastrophic suffering, I burst into tears.
I can't even figure out what I'm crying about. Anyway, I just feel sad.
Throughout my life, my expression changed when I heard about floods.
In this life, I will never hear anyone speak ill of Prince Liang.
In this life, I have lived a life of struggle and pain. I only wish that my children and grandchildren will be prosperous and safe.
On September 15th, seeing that the situation in Gaoyang and other places was getting better day by day, Shao Xun went south to Julu to inspect the post-disaster reconstruction situation.
The counties that followed him to the south had no less than 20,000 strong men, all of whom were wrapped in yellow turbans. People at that time called them the "yellow-headed army."
Chapter completed!